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8.31.2012

Six years ago, right about this time of year I was pregnant with my oldest. WOW does time fly!

It was a rough first pregnancy, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The first and second trimesters were spent doubled over the toilet sick as a dog. I wasn't able to eat anything. My Dr. wouldn't do anything to help. Said I just needed to let it pass.... "Most women start to feel better after 12 weeks".... Well 12 weeks turned into 14, then 20, then 24...

My husband would get so frustrated scared that the baby and I weren't getting what we needed because I couldn't eat. My 115 lb body lost 10 lbs in the first month. Yeah Dr. That's got to be good right?! Lets just say I've switched OB's... and when I went through the weight loss and dehydration from being sick so much with my other babies I got the help I needed. (*There are things you can do too kick "morning" sickness in the butt...*)

On a side note, why do they call it morning sickness? It's clearly not that at all! It's puke your brains out your having a baby sickness allllll freaking day long!

One day in an attempt to get me to eat and get me out of the house, Hubs borrowed his bosses Porsche took me for a ride (which made me more sick haha) then we stopped at a restaurant called The Foot Hills in Warner, NH. I ordered a sandwich (which I didn't eat) and a bowl of smoked gouda corn chowder. It was the first thing I had actually eaten and enjoyed in months! First thing the next day I drug my butt to the store picked up the makings for a chowder and recreated it.

I went on a chowder binge!

I swear it was the only thing I ate for most of my pregnancy... or until I gained my appetite back.I have forever ruined corn chowder for my husband. He ate so much of it during those weeks and months I don't think he will voluntarily consume a bowl today.

6 years later here I am with 3 kids (funny how mother nature makes you forget the bad stuff, and you keep popping babies out despite the hell you had gone through with the last!)

In a large heavy bottomed pot ( I use my dutch oven) add butter and onion. Saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. Sprinkle flour over the top and with a whisk, mix until a paste has formed.

Slowly whisk in your chicken stock. Bring to a boil and continue whisking until their are no flour lumps.

Add in corn, carrot, potato, and garlic. Bring back up to a boil, reduce heat to medium/low. Allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Once the vegetables are tender, mix in your ham, and milk. Bring back up to a boil.

Once it has returned to a boil reduce heat to low. Mix in your smoked gouda cheese. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes on low. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

8.30.2012

Yesterday was my oldest son's first day of kindergarten. How is that even possible??

To fill the roll of the stereotypical stay at home mom. I had fresh cookies and milk waiting for him when we got home.

I selfishly created something I knew I would love as well. This girl loves anything cookies and cream. Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting is my favorite cake topper, Cookies and Cream Ice Cream is just awesome, and I have always loved loved loved those Hershey Cookies and Cream Bars.

I've stuffed Oreos in a chocolate chip cookie, I've layered them in brownies. But I've never actually done a cookies and cream cookie.

When thinking of a base cookie I wasn't really sure how to do it so it would still fit the "cream" part of the title. After a lot of playing around in the kitchen and thinking about it. I had a duh moment. Cream Cheese Cookies. Perfect base to crumble bits of Oreo into.

They were moist and fluffy just like I had hoped, delicious all on their own. But since more is more, I had to top them with something. I also did a cream cheese topping and then crumbled additional Oreos on top.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

In the bowl of you electric mixer cream , cream cheese and butter together. Add in sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract and egg. Slowly mix in flour and salt.

Add Oreo Cookies in whole turn your mixer on medium for about 30 seconds. The paddle attachment should break the cookies up perfectly. IF you are not using a KitchenAid or other stand mixer, break the cookies up by hand before adding into the cookie batter.

Carefully roll 1 inch balls of dough, if it is too sticky add a bit of flour. It will be a bit messy but you should be able to roll some balls. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Flatten each cookie ball with the palm of you hand onto the cookie sheet. These cookies do not spread on their own. You need to give them a press to get you desired shape. Otherwise you will have cookie "balls".

Bake for 12 minutes or until bottoms are starting to get golden.

Allow cookies to cool.
Meanwhile in an electric mixer beat 8 oz of cream cheese with powdered sugar and salt. When it is smooth Frost tops of cookies. Dust each cookie with Oreo crumbs.

8.29.2012

Macarons have been on my bucket list of things to bake for ever. I keep putting them off. Putting them off. Until finally a couple friends of mine encouraged me to try them. They aren't that hard, you can pull them off.

It took a week of experimenting, but I did come up with a pretty fool proof recipe. With the help of a few blogs and some trouble shooting I used a Martha Stewart recipe that did not let me down! I made 4 batches in one week with this recipe, though I did have a couple mishaps. I figured out why.

1st. Allow the macarons to sit at room temp after piping them out for at least 30 minutes. If not longer. I found I like to let mine sit for 60 minutes.

2nd. Give the pan a tap, by gently picking it up and dropping it on the counter. Only lift it about 1 inch before dropping. This gets rid of any air bubbles.

3rd. Measure accurately. If you have a scale use it. If not pay close attention to what you measure out.

- Whisk together almond meal and confectioners sugar. Run through a fine sieve to remove any lumps or large almond pieces.- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip egg whites until white and foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually pour in granulated sugar. Until you have stiff peaks and it is shiny. About 15 minutes.

- With a rubber spatula gently fold in almond/confectioners sugar mixture into the egg whites.

- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. Pipe 1 inch circles onto sheets. if you get little tips at the top of each piped cookie. Dab your finger in water and carefully wipe/pat it down.

- Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with vanilla sea salt.

- Give the cookie sheets a gentle tap to remove any air bubbles.

- Allow cookies to sit at room temperature before baking for at least 30 minutes if not 60.

-Place cookies in the oven with the door slightly ajar. I place a wooden spoon in the door so it can't close all the way. Bake the cookies until they are dry to the touch. About 15 minutes.

- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

For the filling:

I used my favorite chocolate buttercream. You can also fill with fruit curds, or ganache. For my chocolate buttercream recipe CLICK HERE.

Assembly:

After cookies are completely cooled pipe chocolate filling on the bottom of one cookie and then sandwiching a second cookie on top.
Store cookies in an air tight container in the refrigerator. I preferred the cookies 24 hours later after they "melded" together.

Want some more tips on how to make perfect macarons? I found these recipes/ tips to be super super helpful!

8.28.2012

Roasted chicken is always a favorite in our house. It's a classic that just screams comfort. One of those meals that brings everyone to the table to sit together and enjoy a nice dinner as a family.

Family dinners are tough in our home from February-October, as those are my husbands busy months (most of the entire year) at work, and he does not get home until after 9pm. I find myself falling in the rut from time to time of preparing 3 separate dinners. One for the kids around 5, one for myself after the kids are in bed around 7-8 and then one for my husband at about 9.... which I sometimes eat as well. And like I really NEED to eat dinner twice right?

When I start to feel myself falling into this terrible dinner time routine I pull out the family favorites at least 2 days a week (Hubs day's off) so we can have a sit down family dinner. Roasted chicken is on the list of things to make.

I have a secret to making perfect roasted chicken or turkey that will yield a brown crispy skin, it will be moist and packed with flavor.

Before I tell you what it is. I want to warn you, some of you might be ohhhh gross! But let me explain. This makes sense. It does! And it works!

Last Thanksgiving I saw this recipe for a Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey. I was instantly intrigued.

Really? Mayo?

I tried it out on my in laws on turkey day. Everyone agreed, it was the best turkey they had had in a long time. Since I am not going to roast a turkey for a simple family dinner for 5 people I opted to try this method out on a whole chicken for an easy family dinner instead.

When you think about it, mayo is what?

Oil. Eggs.

When you make your birds you tend to brush it with olive oil or butter right? Not so strange.

Eggs. Well you use eggs to brush the outside of pastries and such to create that pretty crust right??

The mayo creates a crust on the outside that not only looks good, tastes great but it holds the moisture in the chicken as well.

Don't turn your nose up. Give it a try, I promise you perfect chicken made easy! Now I used the herbs I had on hand you can change that up and use what you like or have around your house. I just stress that you use fresh.

8.27.2012

Dunkin's Pumpkin is back! I'm so over the moon excited about this little bit of information you have no idea. I await the arrival of pumpkin coffee most of the year.

That's it. It's official. HELLO FALL!!

It's also my very last Secret Recipe Club reveal :( Big sad face there. As much fun as it has been I just can't juggle all my club/group recipe posts anymore.

I was so happy to see my very last Secret Recipe Club assignment was a friend.

Jocelyn is the creator of Inside BruCrew Life. It's a fun dessert blog with too many recipes to choose from. I am an avid reader, I keep up with Jocelyn's posts daily. I can't count how many recipes she has posted that I am like... "MAKING THIS ASAP" but then life gets in the way and I don't get to it. Now I have an excuse to make anything I want from the tons n' tons n' tons of mouth watering treats on her blog.

If I had to choose one word to sum up her blog style I'd have to say she is fun. Her recipes are soooo fun!

I wonder if her kids know they are the luckiest kids on earth to have these kind of treats rolling out of the oven so often?

I went back through Jocelyn's archives, browsed recipes for almost an entire day. Which by the way made super hungry. I could not make up my mind. BUT then I saw THIS Apple Crisp Cheesecake recipe and I knew I didn't need to look any further. Two of my favorite desserts in one spot.

The cheesecake is light and rich then topped with a traditional apple crisp and drizzled with caramel you really can't go wrong with this dessert. Lucky for me, my husband isn't too keen on cooked fruit, nor are the kids. SO I seriously ate these cheesecake alllllll. By. My. Self.

Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixing bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1/4 tsp salt together with a fork. Press inside the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

Meanwhile in the bowl of your electric mixer cream cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix in sour cream and vanilla.

Pour into springform pan. Set aside.

To start your apple layer, in a large bowl combine apples, brown sugar, spices and corn starch. Carefully layer on top of cheesecake.

To make your topping mix all of your ingredients (except caramels and walnuts) when mixture is resembles course crumbs sprinkle on top of the apple layer.

Bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off. Sprinkle cheesecake with walnuts, close the oven door and let sit for an additional hour.

Refrigerate for 4-6 hours (or overnight) Just before serving; melt caramels and cream together over low heat stirring constantly. Drizzle over cheesecake slices before serving.

8.26.2012

Today's post is going to be short and sweet as I am up to my eye balls in buttercream and princess fairies.

It's a birthday party if you can't tell!

One year ago I was due with my little cupcake.

Though she did not arrive for 10 more days from then we are celebrating Madelyn's birth today!

I will have a full post on the cake and goodies we are serving today on Sept 5th so don't fret. You'll have your buttercream and eat your cake too!

For today I leave you with this weeks Sundays with Joy recipe choice.

We made Joys Jalapeno, Chive and Cheese biscuits.

They are the perfect light, flaky, buttery buttermilk biscuit.

I adapted the recipe slightly. I used scallions instead of chives, added some cherry tomatoes from my garden as well as garlic, basil and thyme. I also topped the biscuits with the cheese instead of adding it into the dough.

We used them as a dinner biscuit, I ate 3. No shame in admitting that right?.... Just call me Fatty McFatty Pants.

Joy serves them in her book for breakfast. How great would these be topped with some eggs and bacon??!?!!?? Or sausage gravy? Heck yes!

Want this recipe for awesome perfect jalapeno filled biscuits?? Well then go buy a copy of Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes! Click HERE for info.

Are you a member of Sundays with joy? Go ahead and link your recipes below.

Not a member but want to learn more about it?? Click HERE for more info.(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Joy the Baker or the publishers of Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes. All opinions are 100% my own)

8.24.2012

It's official fall has started for me. I know we have over a month before the calender declares it so.

Schools are back in session, the nights and mornings are getting cooler, apples are ripe my garden is almost kaput.

Some of you may not be ready to let go of the beach days, big slices of juice watermelon, iced cold lemonade, the bikini.....

Me I am packing it all away pulling out the turtlenecks and wool socks. Bring it on mother nature this girl is ready for blustery cold mornings, naked trees, and wait for it....... snow.

Because I am so hurriedly trying to push summer out and fall through the door. I have switched cooking modes, no more grilling it's time for slow cooking, anything that requires using an oven, apples, sweet potatoes, pumpkin.

To kick my "fall" season a whole month early. I have had this recipe for sweet potato gnocchi burning a whole in my brain since June when I helped Mary Ann Esposito create a similar dish, for the taping of her show, Ciao Italia at King Arthur Flour.

I was quite excited to have the honor of meeting Mary Ann, be on her show, and get an signed copy of her latest cookbook. I grew up watching Ciao Italia on PBS as a kid, AND she is from NH.... so naturally she's a WICKED awesome person just for that ;)

Gnocchi is almost too easy to make, though making them look nice is a talent. I tend to have fugly looking gnocchi. But who cares if the texture is right and it tastes great right?!

I had never been a huge fan of sweet potatoes but in this dish I absolutely adored it!

The gnocchi paired with the sweet braised chicken and apples was the perfect pair, drizzled the braising liquid over the top of the gnocchi for the perfect amount of sweet/savory then topped the whole dish with fresh sage.

In a large saute pan add olive oil over medium high heat when it starts to get hot add chicken pieces and sear all sides. Remove chicken from pan (it's ok if it's not cooked through) set aside. Add in cider, syrup and garlic. Bring to a boil. Whisk in corn starch. When it is smooth and thick. Whisk in 1 cup of chicken stock.

Transfer chicken to an oven safe dish with your sliced apples sprinkle with your and pour sauce over the top. Bake for 1 hour. If it seems to need more liquid mix in remaining chicken stock.

Meanwhile, start your gnocchi.

Run potato through food mill or potato ricer. Transfer into a large mixing bowl. Slowly add in flour1/4 cup at a time working it into the potato using your fingers. When the dough comes together and is no longer sticky divide into 4 pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a long rope about a 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces.

Roll each piece over the tines of your fork to create ridges.

Place gnocchi on a baking sheet in one layer until ready to boil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add in no more than 24 gnocchi at a time. When they rise to the top they are done. Remove gnocchi from water onto a prepared dish.

When the chicken is done plate along side the gnocchi topping with braising sauce/liquids. Top with fresh sage.

8.22.2012

Funny part about that is I think I've been saying I'm 28 for like 6 mo's now. LOL

My husband makes fun of me because I round everything up. I tell everyone we have been together for 12 yrs. When in actuality it won't be 12 yrs until November 2012. My 3 1/2 yr old is now 4, my my almost 1 yr old is 1. My dog who JUST turned 8 has been 8 for at least a year now.

I don't know why I do this. It confuses everyone around me even myself.

I swore our anniversary this fall was going to be 13 yrs, and that tomorrow I would be 29 with 1 yr to go until the big 3-0.

So to celebrate my NOT 29th birthday tomorrow I will be hosting a Cake and Ice Cream Party. Come link up as many cake and ice cream posts on my blog tomorrow. Share your delish recipes with me and maybe get some extra traffic to your blog as well. It's a win win!

As a cake teaser I am going to share my favorite chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with you all today. I make these every year for Hub's birthday which is on Sept 11th. He will be 27 this year. Not 28.

The chocolate cake is super moist and topped with the BEST frosting on the planet everyone will snatch these right up.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter until
creamy. On medium/low speed add in powder sugar until you get your desired creamy/stiffness I only use 2 cups. If too stiff add half and half until
it is smooth.

8.21.2012

I struggle getting protein into my 3 year old son. He has sworn off all meats of any kind. I've found myself having to be a wee bit creative to get some into his little tummy.

I change the names of food to make it a game or more fun for him... It's ridiculously silly and makes absolutely no sense at all. But it works.

Sandwich meat. Like turkey or ham = Frog Food. He "ribbits" with each bite.

Chicken nuggets = Dino Food.

Today's fish nuggets were Shark Bait.

I recently received an email from my friends at Recipe Lion asking if I would like to participate in a recipe contest for the company Beanitos.

Beanitos makes chips out of beans. No corn. No rice. No potato. Gluten free. They are packed with protein and fiber.

Honestly I was like "Sure I'll try them" but I wasn't optimistic. You see I am incredibly picky and snobby with my chips. I have a chip problem. They are what I like to call my "trigger food" I can't just have one. I have been known to polish a bag of Lays off with a thing of onion dip, in one sitting. The entire tub of dip, people. I binge on them. It's a rather unhealthy habit I had for years as a teen and into my early 20's. I've since learned that I just can't keep chips in the house or else I will weigh 668 lbs.

After I signed up to try Beanitos I thought "How good can something, so healthy, actually taste?"

WOW I was so wrong. I came home from a trip to Boston to find a whole case of assorted flavors waiting for me to try. They are amazing! And soooo good for you. I can eat chips without all the guilt plus get a good portion of my protein and fiber.

They are much like a tortilla chip in texture, and hold up great to dips and salsas. I've become quite obsessed with the black bean chipotle BBQ chips dipped into my reduced fat sour cream. Best. Snack. Ever!

When I started thinking of things I could make with them I kept coming back to this tortilla and lime crusted tilapia, that I LOVE. Why not do a twist on that but make it a tad more kid friendly?

I did two versions.

First I ground the black bean chips up with some lime zest little red pepper flake and some sea salt. Coated chunks of tilapia and oven baked them.

Second I did the same thing as the first batch but added in some of their pinto and flax seed chips.

Verdict?

I created a crunchy, gluten free, protein and fiber packed fun dinner for my kids.

Both versions were equally scrumptious and healthy!

Kids? Who am I kidding, I created a fun dinner for hubs and I as well! We couldn't stop eating these. Super yummy and beyond healthy!

I want to scream from the mountain tops of New Hampshire how much I love these chips. I am not exaggerating. And not to sound all dramatic and blah blah blah.

These chips changed my snacking life. I can reclaim my love for chips without the added 668lbs of butt fat.

Because I love this product so much, my friends at Beanitos want you to try them as well.

They will ship one case of chips to one lucky reader. But we will get to the details of the giveaway in a moment.

(Disclaimer: Recipe developed for Recipe Lions Beanito Chip recipe contest. Beanitos provided me with one case of chips to try and will provide one winner a case of chips. I have received no monetary compensation all opinions are my own)